The invention relates to a specimen holder for use in a charged particle beam device, comprising:
a support having a supporting face and a circumferential edge which extends transversely of the supporting face, and PA1 a resilient retaining element for retaining a specimen between the retaining element and the supporting face.
The invention also relates to a support and a retaining element suitable for use in a specimen holder of this kind, and also to a charged particle beam device comprising such a specimen holder.
A specimen holder of the kind set forth is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,934.
The cited patent specification describes a specimen holder of a high-resolution electron microscope, which holder comprises a support having a supporting face on which a mesh-covered ring can be arranged. The ring is retained by means of a ring-shaped spring. The supporting face is recessed relative to a top face of the support, thus forming an upright edge which surrounds the ring. In the upright edge a slot is recessed above the mesh-covered ring, the ring-shaped spring fitting in said slot. Displacement of the mesh-covered ring in a direction perpendicular to the supporting face is prevented by expansion of the ring-shaped spring in the slot. Such a construction has the drawback that the removal of the resilient ring from the slot is difficult, the more so because the dimensions of the support amount to only a few millimeters.